Chapter 4

Jane couldn't believe she was snooping through her mother's belongings. She hadn't done this in years! There was a certain type of excitement to be had in expecting to find a juicy secret. She tried not to think too much of it, because she had a hard time wrapping her mind around the idea of her mother and Maura's mother being more than just friends. Had Hope not told her about her best friend earlier, she would have never thought anything of it initially.

Jane knew where to look too. Angela had this wooden box, which she kept locked with a key at all times. Jane remembered when Frankie got caught trying to jimmy the lock when he was a kid. He got in so much trouble! Jane chuckled at the memory.

Her phone rang. "Fuck!" It was Angela. She answered it. "Hey Ma."

"Hey honey, what are you girls up to?"

Jane bit her lip. "Um, we're just…Uh, hanging out." She purposely stuttered through her words to make her mother suspicious. If this worked, Angela would stay away longer.

"Hanging out?"

"Yeah, Ma. We are… Man, I'm a little embarrassed. We are kinda spending some, girl time together. You know."

There was a long silence and then Angela giggled, "Oh! Okay, I get it now."

"You're not coming home yet are you?"

"I was thinking about it."

"No, please… Give us a couple more hours."

"Well, okay. Maybe I'll just finish your shopping for you. Text me your list okay, sweetie?"

"Do you still have my debit card?"

"Yes. Do you want me to use that?"

"Yes! Great! You're the best."

"Love you sweetie."

"I love you too, Ma." Jane said as she hung up the phone. She quickly composed a text with her list and made sure to send her a good ways away in order to find the items.

A moment later she received a confirmation from Angela via text. She sighed a sigh of relief and went on her search. She searched high and low for that goddamn box. She'd seen it a couple weeks ago when she was helping her mother clean this place, but of course she lost sight of it.

"Where would I put it?" She said to herself.

She stood in the middle of Angela's bedroom and scanned the room slowly, looking for something, anything that would clue her as to its whereabouts. If she were her mother, she would hide it in plain sight.

She sat down on her mother's bed and mused for a moment. "I would keep my memories close," she said as she leaned back onto Angela's pillow. She turned her head to the side and smiled. There on the side of her nightstand was a drawer. Jane sat up quickly and examined the nightstand. She tried to pull the handle on the front of the nightstand but realized it was just a dummy handle.

"Clever girl," Jane chuckled. She pushed the nightstand to the side and pulled on the real handle. It was locked. She felt around underneath the bottom of the drawer, and couldn't find a key. "Of course it wasn't going to be that easy."

She laid back and scanned again. Her eyes instantly settled on the bookcase that sat directly across from the bed. The answer was right there! Angela had a word art sculpture sitting on the bookcase in front of her Agatha Christie novels. Jane had seen this thing a million times, but for the first time it meant something to her. The sculpture read: Family…Love…&…Hope

Jane got up and went over to the bookcase, retrieving the sculpture. On the back side of the words "Hope", there was a small compartment.

She opened it.

And just as she had suspected, there was a small key that no doubt fit the nightstand. She took it out, went to the nightstand and unlocked it. As she pulled opened the drawer, a sense of guilt came over her. She was doing the unthinkable. Every Rizzoli knew that they should never, ever touch Ma's secret box. And if they did, there would be hell to pay.

She took a deep breath and retrieved the smaller key that sat next to the box. She slid it into the keyhole and unlocked it. She opened it and her heart leapt into her throat. On top, there was a white handcrafted lining, with one word etched in with purple threading: Speranza

Jane's hands began to tremble as she lifted the fabric to see what the contents of the box were. There were postal letters, handwritten letters, drawings, charms, and…Pictures. Jane thumbed through the years' worth of Polaroid snapshots until she found a small circular piece that she knew belonged in the necklace. She turned it over and found what she'd been looking for. It was a vintage "usie" of a younger Angela and Hope. God, they had to be about 16 or 17 years old. It was spooky how they posed almost exactly the same way that she and Maura did. She shook off the chills and checked her watch. She needed to get Maura in here, so they could discover this together. Jane didn't have to see the pictures; she knew Hope was going to be in them.

She pulled out her phone and dialed Maura. It rang and went into voicemail. She hung up and tried again. This time, she answered on the first ring.

"Dr. Isles?" A sleepy Maura answered.

"Maur, it's me."

"What? Where are you Jane?"

"I'm next door at my mother's."

Maura yawned sleepily. "Oh, okay."

"Listen, get up put on your clothes and come over here quick!" she said before hanging up.

She knew that Maura would be able to hear the urgency in her voice. Surely enough, Maura was at the door no more than five minutes later. Jane opened up the front door and pulled her in quickly. She glanced outside to make sure Angela wasn't pulling up on them.

"Jane, what on Earth is going on?" Maura asked.

Jane nodded and started pacing. She wasn't sure how she as going to break the news to Maura, she just knew she had to. "Okay… I know why your mother has a necklace just like that one," she said pointing to the necklace she had just given her.

Maura reached up and touched it, "Why?"

Jane thought that it was better just to show her than to try to explain it. She took Maura's hand and guided her to the couch. "You're going to need to sit down for this."

Maura sat slowly, "Jane, what's wrong?" Maura could see Jane was troubled.

Jane sat beside her and placed the box in front of them. She opened it slowly.

"What is this?" Maura asked quietly.

"Ma's secret box."

Maura's eyes widened, "Wait, the secret box?" She hopped up out of her seat. "I can't be a part of this, Jane." She began hyper-ventilating.

Jane reached for her hand and pulled her back down. "Shh, calm down, babe… It's okay. You really need to see this too." Her eyes were soothing as she willed for Maura to stay with her.

Finally, Maura nodded slowly. "Okay."

Jane pointed to the fabric lining and watched for Maura's reactions. "Do you know what that says?"

Maura nodded, "Yes. It says 'Hope', in Italian.

Jane nodded and pulled back the lining.

"What does this have to do with Hope and Angela having matching necklaces? Jane, I don't understand."

"You will," she said softly as she took out a postcard and handed it to Maura.

Maura took it and smiled, "Oh wow, this is an NMK postcard from 1980. NMK stands for National Museums of Kenya. Hope told me about when she went there in her twenties and spent a summer there."

Jane just nodded and looked down at it. "Read it."

Maura turned it over and her smile slowly disappeared from her face as she read the postcard. "Oh my god, Jane," Maura gasped.

"What does it say?"

Maura's lips trembled as she looked up at her. "This can't be accurate."

Jane took the card from her and read it:

Ang, did you get my Christmas card from Morocco?
Congrats on the new baby boy! Baby #3. Wow!
I know you're probably busy. Just know that I miss you.
Sending my love, Hope.

Jane sighed heavily as she felt a strange emotion creeping up inside of her. It kind of felt like sadness and also a little bit like regret. She placed the card down and looked up at Maura. Maura's face emitted the same look. Jane handed Maura the small photo that belonged in her necklace.

"This is the photo that came out of the necklace I gave you. Ma, took it out when she gave it to me."

Maura took the photo and examined it. She brought a trembling hand up to her mouth and then looked up at Jane, "This looks just like ours! How can this be?"

Jane just shrugged.

"They knew each other already?" Maura whispered.

Jane just nodded, "Looks like it." She started to close the box, uncertain if she wanted to see any more, but Maura stopped her.

"No, we need to know the rest of their story." Maura's expression was resolute.

Jane glanced at her watch, "Okay. But we need to hurry."

They began going through the stacks of postcards and letters from Hope to Angela; Reading each letter, poem, love note, and sketch. Hope and Angela had met in their sophomore year of high school through a mutual friend. The day they met, both Angela and Hope had skipped classes at their respective schools and ended up at the lake. They forged a bond that very day and could hardly be separated. They were what each other needed during that period of their lives. A sister type of friend who would not judge. They were the best of friends, inseparable. Apparently they got into a lot of trouble too.

The ones on the bottom of the stack detailed their love for one another, and showcased something that only Jane and Maura could dream of having. By the time they finished the set of handwritten letters from their senior year, Maura was in tears.

"This is so heartbreaking."

"Yeah, it's sad."

"They loved each other so much! Why didn't they ever tell us?"

Jane sighed. "I don't know, Maur. It's probably awkward for them you know? What are they gonna say to us? 'Hey, guess what? We used to be lovers'?"

Maura took out a picture of Hope and Angela taken at Niagara Falls and thumbed over it. "Oh, they were so much more than just lovers, Jane." She swiped a tear from her eye, "They were soulmates."

Jane couldn't believe those words just came out of Maura's mouth. She reached over and touched her on the hand. "Yeah, maybe they were."

"What are we going to do with this information?"

"I don't know."

"We have to tell them we know!"

"What? No!" Jane nearly yelled, and then she laughed nervously, "Are you insane? My mother would flip if she knew that I was going through her shit like this."

Maura froze as her fingers fell upon a letter to Angela dated a week after her birth. She opened it, and then lost the nerve to read it. Jane took it and read it quickly.

"Oh man…"

"What does it say, Jane?"

"You want me to just read it?"

Maura nodded. "Please."

Jane cleared her heart from her throat and began reading:

My Dearest Angela,
My heart breaks as I write this letter.
I delivered a healthy baby girl on August 7th.
Sadly she died shortly after birth. She's gone! I just want to die, Ang.
Patrick said she looked like me… She had red hair and even my dimples!
I wish I could have held her, and kissed her, and told her that I loved her.
My heart is shattered into pieces. Please, god, Angie. I need you!
I'm sorry, I know you have your family and own baby girl to care for now.
It was my dream that our girls could grow up together & be close like us.
I guess I must have done something wrong. This hurts!
Thank you for the pictures of Jane. She's so beautiful. Just like her mother.
Enclosed are funds just for you and your little princess. Kiss her for me.
Per sempre tuo amore, Hope.
Ps. I love you.

Maura's took a moment to absorb the words that Jane had just spoken. Jane slowly placed the letter back into the envelope and into the box.

"I don't know what to say," Maura said.

"Neither do I, I don't know how to feel either."

Maura nodded slowly and motioned for Jane to take the box. "We've seen enough, don't you think?"

Jane nodded in agreement. "Yes, we have." She said as she closed the box up and returned it to its proper place in Angela's bedroom.

She rejoined Maura a few minutes later. She was standing at the front door, about to leave out of the residence. "Are you okay, Maur?"

Maura nodded, "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm stunned and I'm saddened, but I'm definitely okay." She said as she disappeared out of the door.

Jane shut and locked the door behind her and joined Maura in the main house. Maura was standing in the kitchen at the island when Jane approached her cautiously. Jane wasn't certain what was going on inside of Maura, but she was certain that it was probably just as tumultuous as it was inside of her.

Jane stood in front of her and sighed, "Talk to me, babe. What are you feeling?"

Maura shook her head briskly, "I don't know what this emotion is that I'm feeling." She looked up at Jane and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Oh no, come here." Jane said as she reached out for Maura. Maura embraced her tightly and became choked up with a sob. Jane knew exactly how she was feeling too. She couldn't explain what it was she felt, it was just there.

She would even dare to call it the ghost of their mothers' love. Opening that box had released it into the air and now it pervaded the entire room. It was so strong, heavy, and thick. Maura buried her face into Jane's shirt and sobbed. Her cry came out of nowhere and scared the hell out of Jane, but she just held her, gently placing soft kisses on the top of her head as she let her emotions run their course.

"Had we never met, they would have never seen each other again."

"I know…" Jane whispered. Jane couldn't deny it. It was creepy as hell, and there had to be a logical explanation.

"I never want to lose you, Jane. Thinking about it hurts too much."

"Shh…" Jane comforted her, "Then don't think about that at all. I'm not going anywhere."

Maura looked up at her. "What are you feeling?"

Jane swallowed hard, because she didn't want to answer that question. She was feeling an intense surge of emotion. A little bit of fear. And anxiety.

"I'm scared." Fuck, she let that slip out.

"Of what?"

Jane hugged her tighter, "Scared of losing you, like my mother lost yours."

Maura just looked at her. She knew there was more coming.

Jane knew that if she talked about it, she would start crying, but so fucking be it! Maura needed to know. She held back the tears for a moment, but they continuously stung the backs of her eyes.

"I love my mother," she forced out, "And knowing how much she loved that woman and then having lost her love for nearly 40 years… oh my god, that breaks my heart."

Maura touched her softly on the cheek.

"And also now, that my dad just split on her and left her alone with nothing… What the hell!" Jane wiped her tears with Maura's hair and sniffled. "All those years she devoted to him, and then he just bails on her! She could have spent that time with the person who she really loved, and got that love back. It would have been so much better for her!"

Maura nodded. "Yes, maybe so." She kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But if she had gone with her, neither you nor your brothers would be here."

Jane sighed and lowered her head onto Maura's shoulder, as she embraced her. "I don't understand why our mothers didn't tell us."

"Why we didn't tell you what?" Angela's soft voice came from out of nowhere.

Neither one of them had heard anyone come through the front door. Usually Angela came in announced, but this time, she slipped in so quietly, without a sound. Startled, they both jumped and spun around like they had gotten caught doing something naughty. There in the entryway of the kitchen stood Angela and Hope.

"What don't you understand, Janie?" Angela asked.

Jane released Maura and walked over to her mother. She gazed into Angela's eyes for a few long seconds before embracing her tightly. Jane pulled away from her and touched Angela on the face. "I love you so much."

Angela smiled, "Oh sweetie, I know you do."

Jane kissed her mother on the forehead and took her by the shoulders. "Ma, I need to tell you something."

Angela nodded. "Okay."

"Actually," Jane said releasing her mother and walking over and standing next to Maura. She put her arm around Maura and sighed. "Maura needs to tell you something."

"What?" Maura turned to Jane with a look of fiery rebuke in her eyes. "Jane!"

"Come on Maura, I'll owe you one. Please?" She whispered.

Maura huffed and puffed a few seconds before sighing heavily. She nodded slowly, "it's okay… I know you're afraid to tell her."

"Afraid to tell me what?" Angela said.

Maura turned slowly towards their mothers. "Please, let's go have a seat in the living room." Maura said as she motioned for everyone to go out of the kitchen and away from all of the sharp utensils.

A couple of minutes later, everyone had taken their spots in the living room area. Maura sat in the chair with Jane on the arm of it, and Hope and Angela sat on the couch.

Maura looked at their mothers and smiled at them. "First, Angela we would like to say we are so very sorry for invading your privacy."

Angela frowned, "What? What are you talking about?"

Maura reached over and took Jane's hand. "We know."

Angela shook her head, "You know what?"

Maura looked over at Hope and held her gaze. Hope understood what she meant, almost instantaneously. Maura slowly nodded.

"They know about us, Ang." Hope said.

Angela spun around and looked at her, "What? How? Did you tell them?"

"No, I didn't. I've been with you all day, remember."

Angela turned back to them slowly with a look that sent chills up Jane's spine. Oh, Mama Rizzoli was royally pissed off. "Jane, please tell me you didn't," she gasped as she watched Jane avoid eye contact.

Jane nodded and looked up at her, "Yes, I did. I opened your box."

Angela started breathing heavily as she cupped her mouth, "Holy Mary, mother of god, I can't believe this!" She fought back tears as she got up and walked over to the bookcase, "Why, Janie? You girls were never supposed to know!" Angela put her face into her hands and started sobbing.

Jane felt horrible! And so did Maura.

As they were about to go over to Angela, Hope stood in their path, blocking their approach. "No... I've got her," she said, her voice was firm, freezing them in their tracks. Hope walked over to Angela and touched her lightly on the shoulder.

Jane and Maura looked on and then at each other in amazement.

Angela responded instantly to Hope's touch. Their movements were fluid and coordinated like lifelong dance partners as Hope effortlessly pulled her away from the bookcase and into her arms. She stroked Angela's hair gently as she caressed her back.

"They were bound to find out one day, Ang. You know that."

"It should have been on our terms, not because they wanted to snoop around in my stuff."

Jane knew her mother needed approximately 10 minutes to cool down. If she didn't get it, she'd be mad as hell for the rest of the day simply because she didn't get her opportunity to cool down.

"I know," Hope said softly.

"I don't want to speak to them right now, Hope!"

"Shh, and you don't have to. It's just you and me, okay?"

Angela ignored her as she cut her eyes over to Jane. "Hey, look at me?" Hope tipped her chin towards her; her voice was soft, gentle, and soothing. "It's just you and me, right now okay?"

They stood silently in the corner by the window, in their own little world. Jane and Maura witnessed an interaction that was nothing short of pure love, respect, and confidence. Hope held Angela until she calmed down, and it was noticeable too, because Angela's entire body relaxed in Hope's arms as she whispered softly into her ear. The girls could tell that these two were long comfortable with each other.

Hope checked her watch quickly. "Nothing has changed." She whispered softly into Angela's ear. "The only thing that's different is that they know about us and our history."

Angela simply nodded. Hope kissed her lightly on the forehead and released her. Angela walked over to the couch and sat down. She took a couple more minutes to gather herself, before turning her attention back to Jane and Maura. Hope took her seat next to her.

"Okay, what do you girls want to know?"

Jane was almost afraid to talk. But she knew Angela had calmed down, so she felt safe.

"I'm sorry for snooping, Ma. But I originally went in there because I had a hunch about something."

"What did you have a hunch about?"

"This," Jane said as she pointed to Maura's necklace. "I gave this to Maura earlier. Because you gave this to me when I was a kid, and told me to give this to my future best friend."

"Okay?"

"And Maura said that Hope had one, just like mine. And it made me curious because of something Hope told me at the restaurant."

"Okay?"

"And I just put two and two together. And I wanted to know."

"You should have just asked instead of prying into my personal things, Jane!"

"Would you have really told me, Ma?" Her voice raised, and she felt Maura's hand gently squeeze her arm, calming her down a bit. "I mean, it's none of our fucking business, but didn't you think we had a right to know?"

Angela didn't answer. She just looked away.

"Come on, Ma. How do you keep something like this a secret?"

"Because I didn't know how to explain it! Neither one of us did, Jane!"

"What does that mean?" Jane asked.

"When Hope left, that was it; we were never supposed to see each other again. But you girls, met and became friends."

"Did you two plan this?"

"How could we plan this? That's ridiculous, Jane."

"So what are you saying? This is fate?"

Angela ran her fingers through her hair and got up to pace the floor. "I can't explain how or why this is happening, but it's not about Hope and me, Janie."

"Then who is it about?"

"This is about you and Maura." Angela said.

Jane looked totally confused. "What?"

"Fate brought you girls together in the first place."

"I don't get it," Jane said.

"Let me try to explain," Hope said as she got up and knelt down in front of Jane and Maura. "One summer night, many years ago, your mother and I drove over to Connecticut, with hopes of a clearer view of the meteor shower that was occurring that night. We were so disappointed because we'd driven all that way for a clear view and we couldn't see anything."

"Okay?" Jane said.

"Well, we camped out and waited all night. And still nothing. And then around 3 am, I was about to fall asleep, but something told me to open my eyes. And when I did, there Angela was, just sitting there looking so amazingly beautiful, gazing up at the sky." Hope sighed heavily. "She refused to go to sleep. I'd given up hope of seeing anything." She chuckled. "We were silly teenagers, but we knew what we wanted."

"What was that?" Maura and Jane both asked simultaneously.

Hope looked over at Angela. "We wanted to stay friends forever. We believe so strongly that if we just saw a shooting star and made that wish on it, then we would be together forever!"

"Did you see one?" Jane asked.

"Yes." Hope said. "Her eyes started sparkling, literally, and I followed her gaze towards the heavens, and there it was! The only shooting star that night. The amount of time it traveled across the sky was amazing! We knew then that that one star was meant for us. So we joined hands and wished upon that star."

"What did you wish for?" Jane asked.

Hope looked over at Angela. "We realized later when we talked about it that we had wished for the same thing."

"What did you wish for? Maura repeated Jane's question.

Angela knelt down next to Hope and smiled. "I wished for our first babies to be girls, so we could always raise them together."

Jane and Maura looked over at Hope, "I wished for Ang and I to both have a healthy babies who would grow up together. I was partial to girls." Hope laughed.

Maura looked at Jane and the look in her eyes spoke volumes. "You wished for us?" Maura said.

"Yes." Hope said.

"We were pregnant together with you girls, you know," Angela said. "We shopped together, ate pickles and ice cream together…"

Hope chuckled. "It wasn't pickles and ice cream, Ang. It was something crazier like sauerkraut and mustard."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that." Hope leaned over and pressed her face against Angela's lips as she gave her a gentle kiss. They looked at each other, possibly replaying the old memories together in their minds.

Jane couldn't help but to smile. She knew now why her mother had never formed any close bonds with females. There was only one who could be this close. Seeing this interchange warmed her heart. She glanced over at Maura who was smiling as well. It was absolutely beautiful…

Then sadness crossed their faces as apparently they had arrived upon the same memory. Hope sighed heavily. "My dreams were shattered when I thought my baby girl had died." She looked over at Maura. "I just got to see you for maybe a half hour before you were taken from me. I remember thinking about how I couldn't wait until Angela saw you and how perfectly everything had fallen into place."

Angela put her arm around Hope, "Hope was never the same after that." Angela locked eyes with Hope. "She was hurting so much, and she blamed herself for what happened. Everything was moving so fast. That was the same time Frank had purchased a new house and moved us."

"Angela had asked me to come and live with her and her family, but I declined and left the states, and the pain of my losses behind me."

They stared at each other for a moment. Not wanting to go any further in their memories. Obviously, their separation was the most painful experience they had ever experienced. They didn't speak any more on it. They just turned to the girls and waited for whatever questions they may have had.

Jane stepped around her question carefully. "We know now you were friends, but were you two lovers as well?"

They both nodded. "Our relationship was mostly platonic," Hope began. "We loved each other on so many levels long before we became intimate. But when we finally went there, we really went there…There was nothing that we wouldn't do for one another when we took it to that level." Hope said blushing slightly. "We became one person when we made love. It's hard to even explain but it was like she was inside of me, she was a part of my very being. It was truly magical."

Jane looked back at Maura. She felt the same way about her. She realized a long time ago that she loved Maura. It just took some time for it to materialize enough for Jane to recognize it for what it was. The lovemaking only made that feeling stronger. Jane's heart leaped into her throat again. Things started to make more sense, the more she sat and looked at Maura. In Maura's eyes, she saw herself, she saw her love, and she saw her hope. Her body began to tremble.

"I feel that too," Jane whispered.

Angela nodded and sighed. "You two were destined to be together. Our wish came true. Even if Hope and I were separated, Love found a way. Love found you two and brought you together for us."

Jane dropped to the floor at Maura's feet as Angela and Hope moved back over to the other couch. Jane took Maura's face into her hands and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I remember the first time I saw her," Jane said as she stroked Maura's face gently with her thumbs, "I felt like I'd known her for ages. These eyes of hers seemed so familiar to me."

"Did you feel an immediate attraction and kinship with her?" Hope asked softly.

Both Jane and Maura nodded. "The moment our eyes met, she had hooked me. I wanted to follow her wherever she went. I just wanted to be with her." Jane said.

"That's what it feels like when you meet your soulmate for the first time." Hope said. "And we knew you two were soulmates from the beginning because of how we all were brought together. We just had to give you a nudge in the right direction, so you'll see it too."

That captured her attention, "A nudge?" Jane's eyes finally broke away from Maura's.

Hope and Angela nodded and smiled at them.

It took a moment for Jane to comprehend the meaning. Her eyes widened. "Oh my fucking god… You're kidding right?!"

Angela shrugged. "I take full credit if it worked. If not, then… it was all Hope's idea." She giggled as Hope smacked her playfully.

Jane shook her head. "Sonofa—" Jane smiled as she came to a realization that she had been played. "Maura, babe, meet your secret admirers. Plural." She said turning Maura to face their mothers.

Maura looked at their guilty smiles and then gasped. "What? Are you serious?"

Angela smiled and nodded. "I had to light a fire under Jane."

"But why?" Maura asked.

Angela sighed heavily and caressed both their faces, "I made the biggest mistake of my life when I let my best friend just walk out of my life. I lost her and I didn't have to. I lost so many years, that I can't ever get back, just because I was too stubborn to fight for her. I wanted Jane to do better than me. I wanted her to act, and act immediately when she saw that her relationship with you might have been threatened."

Jane and Maura looked at each other. This had to be one of the most loving acts anyone had ever done for them.

"I know my daughter, and you should take comfort in knowing that Janie will never leave you, sweetie. You're stuck with her." She patted Jane on the cheek and moved away from them.

"I hope you will forgive us for playing the secret admirer game with you." Hope said.

"We'll think about it." Jane laughed as she pulled Maura close to her. Maura wrapped her arms around Jane. The two had never felt so secure in their lives.

Hope chuckled, "Are you two angry with us?"

Jane shook her head negatively. "No, we're not. Are we, Maur?"

Maura shook her head, "No not really."

"That's great!" Hope's eyes lit up as she hugged Angela. "Let us make dinner for us all, so we can talk more about things? You girls can ask us anything you would like to ask us. How does that sound?"

Jane and Maura looked at each other and smiled. This had to be the most interesting turn of events that they'd ever experienced. Jane came into this thinking that someone was trying to steal Maura away from her, only to realize that the odds of that actually happening were very slim. As Jane gazed at Maura's beautiful face, she came to the full realization of what was truly happening.

Call it what you want, but whatever it was had brought her and Maura together in a most precious and inexplicable way. And their union brought Hope and Angela back together again. As Jane looked from Maura, to Hope, and then to her mother, her faith in love had been rejuvenated. In front of her she saw a foretaste of hers and Maura's love in the future; still strong, seasoned with years of experience and forever loyal.

Love is the only thing that can survive the crossing of dimensions between time and space. Somehow, their mothers' love "crossed over", and drew them together. She'd seen it in movies, but never had she ever experienced it; until now.

She smiled and nodded slowly, "Sounds like you have yourself a deal."

Note: Thanks for reading this update. I hope I didn't disappoint.